Why are growing numbers of people choosing to buy seeds from Irish Seed Savers?

The ethos here at Irish Seed Savers Association, is to conserve and distribute wonderful rare and heritage varieties, as well as to encourage the skills of saving your own seed and empowering people to do this in their own gardens, small holdings or farms.

All of our seeds are grown and saved in Ireland and are Open Pollinated which allows you to save your own seeds from them, keeping the variety true to type. By choosing Irish Seed Savers Open Pollinated Seeds you contribute to keeping food security in your own hands and Irish agricultural biodiversity alive and vibrant.

Download 2024 Heirloom Seed Catalogue

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  • A long-rooted variety, between 25cm to 40cm (12in to 16in). The name "Hollow Crown" refers to a characteristic deep dip in the head of the roots. The taste is top quality, buttery and sweet, and it mashes down to an excellent smooth texture. The history of this heritage parsnip can be traced back to 1820, and it has been grown and loved for its flavour and texture ever since. Note: Fresh parsnip seeds need to be purchased each year due to the fact that they are short-lived and will not remain viable for more than a year. Average Seeds Per Pack: 1000
  • This wonderful variety has been selected from a bunch of orange carrots by John Purves in Oxford in the 1970s. Over time he obtained a pure line of purple roots, quite beautiful and unique, crisp and extremely flavoursome. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 700
  • A heritage bean that has been in our collection since 2005. Grown and selected by gardeners at Mourne Grange (Camphill Community, in Co. Down). They had been growing it out successfully for more than 15 years when we received it. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 30
  • This treasured American heirloom is a semi-vining green bean variety, producing beautiful pink flowers and delicious sweet, slender pods. The mature beans, which can be saved for drying, are a beautiful creamy white colour with dark brown speckles. A productive and vigorous variety. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 30
  • A robust and high-yielding early climbing variety.  Green, round, stringless pods producing creamy white beans.  Performs well in poorer weather conditions. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 30
  • A rare snow pea variety first grown out at Irish Seed Savers in 2011. It came to us from the Seed Savers Exchange in the USA with few details. We don't know if it has some connection to Nordland in Norway, Nordland in Germany, or Nordland in the USA? What we do know from this year's grow out is that it grows tall up to 1.8m, produces a good crop of crisp, distinctly sweet mangetout, and tolerated the wet weather in Co. Clare. Best picked and eaten while young. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 50
  • This purple-skinned variety purportedly came from a shipwreck on North Haven Island off the coast of Maine, USA. It has excellent flavour and hardiness, keeping well into spring. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 450
  • This variety carries a wide range of genetic diversity, thus adapting well to different climates and soils. The cobs are multicoloured with reds, yellows, creams, browns and purples to delight the senses. The corn can be eaten young and fresh as cobs or used to grind corn meal when mature. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 26
  • Pilot Pea

    3.50
    One of the hardiest of all varieties in cultivation. Grown since 1904, when it was awarded the Award of Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society. Also mentioned in the 'Dig for Victory' guides. Good for autumn or very early spring sowing, cropping over several weeks, with good well-filled pods. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 50
  • This heirloom pea was introduced to England in the 1840s where it quickly became popular. 6-foot-long vines bear an abundance of pods that fill with tasty peas, able to be harvested either as a green pea or left to dry to be saved and added to soups and stews. Average Seeds Per Pack: 50
  • A rare variety originally from Peru, this chilli is a mainstay of native peoples on both sides of the Andes. Its high pungency has given rise to regional names like ‘levanta muertos’ (raising the dead) or ‘gringo huanuchi’ (gringo killer). It scores 7-8 (out of 10) on the Scoville Scale invented to test the ‘fire’ of chilli peppers. A fantastic cropper producing lots of vibrant red, round fruit. It is also one of the most cold tolerant capsicum varieties and produces plenty of seed for saving! Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 25
  • A dark red bulb, round and slightly flat in shape. Vigorous and hardy. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 200
  • An early ripening bell pepper. Small plants producing an abundance of beautiful medium-sized fruits that ripen to a stunning deep scarlet red from August onwards, even in a cool overcast summer. Deliciously crisp with sweet and fruity flavour. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 25
  • A fine sturdy heirloom variety from eastern Asia. Its long, deep-green leaves and juicy white stems add their fresh taste to salads and stir-fries. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 370
  • An extremely rare heritage tomato from Tibet. Pinkish red in colour, a medium beefsteak type with fleshy. Certified Organic
  • Early and productive stripy green cucumber, originally bred in the US. Quick to set fruit and not at all bitter. The fruit can be harvested when small for pickles or left to grow as a short slicing cucumber. Good disease resistance. Average Seeds Per Pack: 16
  • Weld

    3.75 (3.75 incl VAT)
    A statuesque biennial. Tall spikes with small pale yellow flowers. Blooms appear in early June. An ancient dye plant used by the Romans to colour vestal robes. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 100
  • Strawberry Calendula Marigold Flower

    3.75 (3.75 incl VAT)
    Lovely light pink and cream flowers with ruby centers. The flower from midsummer through to the Autumn. Beautiful as cut flowers or for posies. Pollinator friendly. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 100
Supported in part by the Department of Rural and Community Development and Pobal through the Community Services Programme. We confirm that our organisation complies with The Governance Code for the Community, Voluntary and Charitable Sector in Ireland.

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